India?s firm and righteous stand will prevail over China

The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh is the most critical witnessed since 1967 when the Indian Army forcibly evicted the Chinese at Nathu La and Cho La in Sikkim. The clash at Galwan led to the death of 20 brave Indian soldiers, while they responded to Chinese treachery with herculean courage. The Chinese were left battered with an unspecified but much larger number of casualties. India is ready for all contingencies while making a very sincere effort at the military and diplomatic level to restore the status quo and usher normality.

Shri Ram Madhav has given a very lucid insight into the situation, National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, in the course of a discussion with prominent domain experts through a Webinar. He said that China is pursuing the military doctrine of “victory without war” as advocated by their legendary strategist Sun Tsu. The attempt is to register nibbling land grab victories against India without firing a bullet. This is the reason behind China not agreeing to the demarcation of the LAC and yet not firing a single bullet over the last many decades. India, under the ruling NDA Government, has adopted a counter policy of claiming ownership of the LAC as perceived by her and standing firmly on the established posture.

The circumstances have made untenable the nibbling policy that China had so successfully applied for decades on end and which saw them, in 2013, coming 19 km into Indian Territory in Depsang and pitching tents. Ram Madhav was very emphatic in stating that the Government of India, under the BJP, will always strive for peace, but with self-respect. India will not accept humiliating compromises anymore, and if this righteous and justified posture makes China prone to misadventures, then India will respond adequately and assertively, as seen in Doklam earlier and Eastern Ladakh now. “We do not want war, but, we will not settle for the peace of the graveyard,” said Ram Madhav in conclusion, further adding that India is improving infrastructure in Ladakh at a very rapid pace and will continue to do so.

Even if one concedes to a small edge in military capacity to China, it is the professionalism of the Indian Army, its commitment to the nation and its noble legacy that will prevail. The PLA is a politicised force used more for keeping the iron control of the CCP on the subjugated people, especially Tibet and East Turkestan.

To get a more in-depth insight into the issues involved and to find a way forward, it is necessary to go briefly into the history that impacts the situation. Ladakh was conquered by General Zorawar Singh and amalgamated into the Sikh Empire in 1834. After the First Anglo-Sikh War, 1845-46, the British, in accordance with the Treaty of Amritsar, sold the territories of Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Ladakh to Gulab Singh, the Dogra Rajah (King) of Jammu for a sum of Rupees 7.5 million. Thus was created the state of Jammu & Kashmir with the title of Maharaja bestowed upon Gulab Singh by the British. Jammu & Kashmir remained a princely state all through the British rule and the Dogras administered Ladakh as a Wazarat (principality).

When India gained independence, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947, effective October 27, 1947, making Jammu & Kashmir an integral part of India. Hence, there remains no doubt about Ladakh being a part of India.

China too has a diverse and interesting trajectory of evolution. The Qing dynasty declined in the face of challenges from abroad, and internal revolts and the British hold strengthened. Around that time, the demarcation line between Tibet and the North-East region of India was created and named the “McMahon Line.” It was ratified in 1914 by the Simla Convention between British and Tibetan representatives. In due course of time, the British hold over China strengthened.

With the decline of the monarchy, the journey of transition became long and arduous, marked by a long struggle of power mainly between the Kuomintang (KMT) also referred to the Chinese Nationalist Party and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that came into existence in 1921. On October 1, 1949, mainly due to Soviet support and decline of the British Empire, the CCP gained control of mainland China. Mao Zedong became the founding chairman of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Communist China moved swiftly to gain control over many neighbouring areas of which East Turkmenistan, Tibet and South Mongolia are the most prominent.

Three factors emerge from the foregoing. First, Ladakh was a part of India for millenniums and specifically a part of the Sikh/Dogra dynasties about 87 years before the PRC came into existence and 115 years before it gained power in China. Second, India has borders only with the occupied territories of East Turkmenistan and Tibet and not with mainland China. Third, the Government of China, at the time when the British were leaving the sub-continent, did not object to the McMahon Line.

PRC was quite powerful even then, it could have raised an issue, but it did not.

India needs to rework its diplomatic policy and posture on its borders based on the aforementioned historical facts. Borders can be discussed only with Tibet and East Turkestan as and when they gain independence from brutal repression of the Chinese. There is nothing to be discussed with the PRC and, as such, the McMahon Line remains the irrefutable border. An attempt by China to change the status quo should be seen as an aggression against the sovereignty of India and dealt with accordingly. Diplomatic and military efforts need to be made to get back Indian Territories like the Aksai Chin presently under the forcible occupation of China.

India also has a responsibility to extend humanitarian and diplomatic support to all territories under the illegal suppression of China. Of these, Tibet and East Turkestan are the most important for India since they have borders with the country.

Some self-styled security analysts have attempted to instill fear in the Indian psyche by painting the Chinese Army as invincible. India has also come a long way since the Indo-China War of 1962. Northern Command was raised in 1972; 14 Corps was raised and located in Ladakh after Kargil war. India has the best tanks and mechanised elements operating in the high altitude regions of Ladakh; she has robust missile programmes that have been militarised under a Strategic Forces Command. Indian Armed Forces have a well-developed capacity for Cyber/EW warfare.

Indian Air Force is equipped with frontline 4/5 generation fighter aircraft like SU 30 MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguars and Tejas fighter aircraft to be boosted with the induction of Rafale fighters shortly. Robust airlift capability with C17 Globemaster and C-130 J Hercules aircraft can ensure fast transportation of forces.

If China possesses Dongfeng 3, 4, 5, 21 & 31 IRBMs/ ICBMs, India has AGNI 3, 4 & 5 nuclear-capable IRBMs and, of course, the Brahmos. India also possess TRIAD capability with Arihant launched B15 & K 4 SLBM.

Even if one concedes to a small edge in military capacity to China, it is the professionalism of the Indian Army, its commitment to the nation and its noble legacy that will prevail. The PLA is a politicised force used more for keeping the iron control of the CCP on the subjugated people, especially Tibet and East Turkestan. The Indian Army, on the other hand, created a new nation, Bangladesh, in a 14 days blitzkrieg, an achievement looked upon with great awe in annals of world military history.

Volumes have been written on the clash along the LAC. Military veterans, diplomats, academician, analysts, journalists, politicians all have written or spoke on the issue. Interestingly, the Government, the Army and other institutionalised sources have provided only “need to know” information, so, whatever has been said or written is based on conjecture, speculation and unconfirmed reports.

Most of the commentaries have a positive overtone. They speak of the strength and resilience of the nation. Sadly, there are also expressions of negativity that question the capability and capacity of the Government of the day and the Armed Forces to deal with the situation. They call the situation a “repeat of Kargil” in terms of intelligence failure and go to the extent of saying that the Government and the military have lost ‘credibility.” Such expressions are not only false conjectures but also misplaced and probably given with a vested financial interest as part of the Chinese propaganda machinery. It is very hurtful to see certain political parties and others writing incessantly against the Government and the Army.

Citizens of India have every reason to have faith in and feel pride for the Government and the Army of the Nation. They are taking all necessary actions to safeguard national interest and sovereignty and are achieving great success in their endeavours. The need of the hour is to stand by them and boost their morale.